Trump faces diplomatic hurdles during 28 hours in the Holy Land

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - U.S. presidential trips are an opportunity
to project power and burnish statesmanship. But they come with
diplomatic dangers and potential pitfalls, too. For Donald Trump,
several of those await in Jerusalem and Bethlehem next week.

A nine-day tour taking in Saudi Arabia, Israel, the Palestinian
territories, the Vatican and NATO would be a tall order for any
president. But for Trump, under siege at home over questions
about his administration's links to Russia and his firing of FBI
chief James Comey, it is a particularly demanding itinerary,
especially for a first overseas venture.

During his campaign, Trump promised to be Israel's "best friend"
if elected, and signaled that it was okay for the Israeli
government to go on building settlements on occupied land since
he didn't regard it as an obstacle to peace.

Since taking office, however, Trump has shifted tack, urging
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to "hold back" on settlements,
and praising Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at a White House
meeting this month, part of an effort to bring the sides together
and launch another attempt at Middle East peace.

It looks unlikely Trump will manage to get Netanyahu and Abbas to
shake hands during his 28-hour visit to the Holy Land, and the
prospects of him setting a timetable for a resumption of peace
talks also look dim. But that doesn't mean other diplomatic traps
aren't lying in wait.

Perhaps the most sensitive is what Trump ends up saying -- or not
saying -- about a promise he made during the election campaign to
move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

No country in the world has its embassy to Israel in Jerusalem
since the status of the city remains disputed in the eyes of the
international community. While Israelis call Jerusalem their
"indivisible capital", Palestinians want the capital of any
future state in the east of the city.

Only once Jerusalem's final status is agreed via direct
negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians are foreign
countries likely to move their embassies to the city.

In the meantime, Trump has appointed as his envoy to Israel David
Friedman, a devout Jew who insists the embassy must be moved and
plans to work out of Jerusalem some days of the week.

CAREFUL STEPS

When Friedman arrived in Israel this week, his first act was to
visit Jerusalem's Western Wall, the holiest place where Jews are
permitted to pray, a symbolic departure from usual protocol.

Trump intends to visit the Western Wall too, something past
presidents have not done because of the political sensitivities.

The Wall stands in the Old City in the east of Jerusalem, which
Israel captured during the 1967 Middle East war. Officially, the
United Nations, the United States and others consider the Old
City and East Jerusalem occupied territory and do not recognize
Israel's claim to sovereignty over it.

As a result, the U.S. State Department turned down a request for
Netanyahu to accompany Trump and his family when they visit the
site on Monday. Instead, the president will be accompanied by the
rabbi of the Western Wall.

"This is the most appropriate way to show the proper deference to
such a significant holy site," a State Department official said.

Yet in an interview with Israel Hayom, a pro-Netanyahu paper,
Trump said his plans "could still change" and suggested he might
ask Netanyahu to join him, a last-minute move that would please
Netanyahu but anger the Palestinians.

On Tuesday, Trump is scheduled to visit Abbas for an hour in
Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, which lies a few kilometers
south of Jerusalem in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

To get there, the president's convoy will have to pass through
Israel's high-security checkpoint and towering concrete barriers
that cut the West Bank off from Jerusalem.

Both Palestinians and Israelis will be on alert to see what
language Trump uses when he meets Abbas. While the president
hasn't clearly backed a two-state solution -- Israel and a
Palestinian state -- he is expected to voice support for
Palestinian "self-determination", a phrase that nods in the
direction of an independent Palestinian state.

After negotiating that diplomatic minefield, Trump is scheduled
to visit Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust Memorial. He has set
aside 15 minutes for the visit, unlike previous presidents who
spent an hour or more at the site.

(Editing by Catherine Evans)

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